Tendon Action

Purpose - To determinehow bones move.

Tendon Action

Materialschicken foot(ask a butcher for this) needle-nose pliers adult helper

Procedure

CAUTION: Wash your hands after touchingraw chicken. It may contain harmful bacteria.

¦ Ask an adulthelper to cut away the skin around the end of the chicken foot to expose thewhite, stringlike tendons.

¦ Use the pliersto pull the tendons one at a time.

ResultsThe toes bendand extend.

Why? Tendons (strongbands of tissue that attach muscle to bone) are attached to both the outer andunderside of the toe. When a tendon connected to the underside is pulled, thetoe bends. Pulling a tendon on the outer side causes the toe to extend.